Blu-ray Review: HALO: SEASON TWO

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Jul 14 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Based on Microsoft/343 Industries’ massively popular first-person shooter video game franchise, the second season of the Paramount+ series Halo arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD July 23, 2024.

It is the mid 26th century, and for years, the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) has been battling a fanatical alliance of advanced alien species known as the Covenant. In order to fight this war, the UNSC had built an army of cybernetically- and genetically-enhanced super soldiers known as Spartans. These marines were recruited and trained from an early age, removing their memories, emotions and personal thoughts so that they could concentrate on their mission and the fight against the Covenant. One squad of these soldiers is the elite Silver Team, led by Master Chief John-117 (Pablo Schreiber), who had an AI called Cortana (Jen Taylor) implanted in his brain to help influence his decisions. He is joined by fellow Spartans Riz-028 (Natasha Culzac), Vannak-134 (Bentley Kalu), and Kai-125 (Kate Kennedy).

In the first season, on planet Madrigal, the team discovered a keystone that had an odd connection to Master Chief, unlocking some old memories of his before he joined the Spartan-II program. The stone also had a connection to another human, Makee (Charlie Murphy), who was raised among the aliens of the Covenant as their “Blessed One”. John and Makee experienced shared visions, and the Covenant was trying to use the keystones to locate a “Sacred Ring”, which they called “Halo”. As the season came to a close, Makee had made it to Reach, where she had activated the stones to generate a star map to Halo, but was shot by Kai shortly afterwards. John and several of the other Spartans learned the truth about the Spartan-II program and had removed the pellets that had been implanted in them, and were now experiencing feelings for the first time. And Dr. Halsey, who had been in charge of the ONI and what had been done to the Spartans, had managed to secretly escape from Reach, using a clone to distract the Spartans. However, John had received a seemingly fatal blow while facing off with Makee and the Arbiter, and in the final moments of the season we saw Cortana had assumed control of his body.

The second season picks up 6 months later. John survived the blast, and his connection to Cortana had been severed. There is a new person in charge of the ONI, James Ackerson, but he doesn’t really trust John or the other Spartans, refusing to send them on combat missions. Instead, he’s just assigning them to low stakes missions to the outer colonies. The team has just been sent to facilitate yet another civilian evacuation, this time on the planet Sanctuary. However, while they are there, the planet comes under attack by the Covenant. John even thinks he sees a glimpse of Makee during the battle, even though she is supposed to be dead. Upon returning from the mission, John insists that the Covenant is using these outer colonies as a training ground, but doesn’t know what they are practicing for. He tries to get Ackerman and the Admiral to do something, but no one will listen to him. When he learns that the Cobalt team has gone missing, he is sure that his suspicions are true and is determined to find out what happened to the soldiers. So John takes it upon himself to defy orders and prove his theories. However, what he discovers is far more surprising and deadly than he thought—the enemy may have already arrived on Reach!

Meanwhile, all of the Spartans who removed their pellets are struggling with their newfound feelings and emotions, especially a wounded Riz who is determined to prove that she’s ready to go back into combat. Elsewhere, on Rubble, Soren (Bokeem Woodbine), is investigating a lead into Halsey’s whereabouts when he is abducted. Kwan (Yerin Ha) goes into hiding before she is grabbed as well, formulating a plan to find/save Soren and protect his family in the meantime. Also, an isolated Halsey wakes up to find herself in a strange prison, and tries to figure out where she is and who took her there. Lastly, this season we also follow new character Corporal Talia Perez (Cristina Rodlo), a soldier John rescued on Sanctuary. As she tries to find her role in the military, and later joins the new Spartan-III program, she also serves as an example to John about what a having a family connection is all about, and why soldiers choose to enlist in the first place.

While I really enjoyed the first season of Halo, I think the second season was even better. In the second season, we get a lot more development and backstory of the Spartan characters as they start to struggle with their emotions and feelings of purpose. While still coming up against the monstrous Covenant forces, the soldiers also have a new, unpredictable political enemy to deal with. Joseph Morgan is a great addition to the cast as Colonel James Ackerson, this formidable intelligence operative has his own agenda both with the Spartans and with Halsey, but ultimately still has people he needs to report to as well. Over the course of the season we discover Ackerson’s more personal motivations for going about things the way he does. There’s also the emotional storyline of Kwan and Soren’s family trying to reunite with Soren. And Cristina Rodlo is another great addition to the cast this season as Talia Perez, giving viewers a look at a different side of the military, following someone who isn’t one of these super soldiers.

The suspense and action are really amped up this season. Right from the first episode, we see the Covenant arrive on Sanctuary to glass the planet. And the fourth episode brings the heart-pumping Fall of Reach, which video game fans have no doubt been waiting for. The viewer is constantly put right in the middle of the action, with long, flowing shots that look like oners, putting the viewer right on the ground with the troops as they take on the Covenant creatures. And the season builds to another exciting battle in the final two episodes, plus a turn of events that will please video game fans, with the arrival of another dangerous enemy to shake things up. The writers have done a nice job of providing an interesting and complex narrative to explore in the series, giving the chance for the characters to grow and evolve. At the same time, there are also a lot of amazing looking action and battle sequences—there has definitely been a lot of money put into this series, which is feature film quality with its look and effects.

While the second season ultimately tells a somewhat complete story, it does leave some things open for a potential third season. I would definitely watch more of this series!

Paramount has released this second season of Halo on 4K UHD SteelBook, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital. We were sent the Blu-ray version for review, and it looks and sounds fantastic. This was my first time watching the second season, and I binged through all 8 episodes in one day—each episode ends in a way that makes you eager to see what happens next. The Blu-ray picture is clean and crisp, with an excellent level of detail, especially in the textures of faces, aliens, and armor. Effects generally look quite natural, and battle scenes are quite tense and amazing, though occasionally feeling like an animated cut sequence from a video game. The audio track is also extremely well done, making extensive use of the stereo and surround sound to provide ambiance and an excellent score to put the viewer right in the middle of the on-screen action and provides a fully immersive experience as guns and explosions are firing in every direction.

The season’s 8 episodes are evenly spread out across the 4 discs, with just 2 episodes per disc, leaving plenty of room for bonus material and to maintain the picture quality. Each disc also contains a 12-15 minute after-show for its related episodes, each featuring interviews with cast/crew members and behind-the-scenes segments. There is an additional 40+ minutes of other behind-the-scenes featurettes also spread out across the discs. The four discs are placed on trays in a multi-disc Blu-ray keepcase, which is placed inside a glossy slipcover. There is no digital copy included.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (7:00:55)

All 8 episodes of the second season:
Disc 1: “Sanctuary”, “Sword”
Disc 2: “Visegrad”, “Reach”
Disc 3: “Aleria”, “Onyx”
Disc 4: “Thermopylae”, “Halo”
1080p / Widescreen 2.00:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 2.0 Audio Description, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Danish, German, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish

Extras:

Halo The Series: Declassified
Sydnee Goodman returns to host this after show looking into each episode, talking with the cast and crew live, as well as pre-recorded interview and behind-the-scenes segments, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producer Kiki Wolfkill, showrunner David Wiener, production designer James Foster, props master Andrew Orlando, hair/makeup/prosthetic supervisor Natalie MacGowan Spencer, lead military advisor Jack Nevils, visual effects supervisor Wojciech Zielinski, visual effects production manager Mitchell Kalish, costume designer Jane Holland, director Dennie Gordon, special effects supervisor Paul Stephenson, stunts supervisor/action sequence director Philip Silvera, choreographer/movement coach Zoltan Fohn, and stars Pablo Schreiber (“Master Chief”), Bentley Kalu (“Vannak-13”), Joseph Morgan (“James Ackerson”), Cristina Rodlo (“Corporal Talia Perez”), Natasha Culzac (“Riz-028”), Kate Kennedy (“Kai-125”), Natasha McElhone (“Dr. Catherine Halsey”), Shabana Azmi (“Admiral Parangsky”), Danny Sapani (“Admiral Jacob Keyes”), Bokeem Woodbine (“Soren-066”), Marvin Jones III (“Louis-036”), Jen Taylor (“Cortana”), Charlie Murphy (“Makee”) & Fiona O’Shaughnessy (“Laera”). These can be found on the discs with their respective episodes:
- Halo The Series: Declassified 201 (13:52)
  A look at what it took to create the Sanctuary set and battle; Goodman talks to star Pablo Schreiber (“Master Chief”) about getting back in the armor and the atmosphere on set; star Bentley Kal talks about his favorite scenes; a behind-the-scenes look at the season’s new props and weapons; and the cast/crew discuss the new character of Ackerman.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 202 (14:58)
  Goodman sits down for a remote interview with Joseph Morgan about Ackerman; the cast/crew discuss the new character Corporal Talia Perez; Goodman sits down with executive producer David Wiener to discuss the scope of the season and delving into the backstories of the characters; a look at Riz’s changes both mentally and physically; and a look at creating Kessler’s helmet and its history.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 203 (13:17)
  The cast and crew talk about the dynamic among the USNC soldiers and Master Chief; Goodman sits down for a remote interview with Natasha McElhone to talk about Dr. Halsey; viewers are taken on a tour of the Reach undercity set; a second remote interview with Shabana Azmi about the return of Admiral Parangsky; and the cast talks about the scenes between Ackerson and his father.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 204 (15:04)
  A behind-the-scenes look at filming The Fall of Reach; Goodman sits down for a remote interview with Bentley Kalu to discuss Vannak’s journey; a look at how the actors become soldiers with the fight choreography, mannerisms and language; Goodman does a second remote interview with Danny Sapani about Jacob’s role in the battle; and a look at the visual effects and motion capture technology used to bring the aliens to life.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 205 (11:34)
  The cast/crew discuss the architect of the Fall of Reach, the Arbiter Var ‘Gatanai; Goodman sits down for a remote interview with Natasha Culzac to talk about Riz; a look at the costumes on Aleria; a second remote interview with Bokeem Woodbine about Soren; and the cast/crew talk about killing off a character.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 206 (12:28)
  Goodman sits down for a remote interview with Cristina Rodlo about the new Spartan III armor and the character of Perez; the actors talk about the dynamic between Ackerson and Kai; a second remote interview with Kate Kennedy about Kai’s journey this season; the cast/crew discuss the Spartan IIIs and the design and production of their armor; and a look at some of the visual effects used to make Perez fly through space.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 207 (13:56)
  The cast and crew discuss Cortana 2.0 and the effects used to bring her manifestation to life; Goodman sits down for a remote interview with Jen Taylor who talks about how playing Cortana has evolved through the games and seasons; a look at designing the outfits for Makee; a second remote interview with Charlie Murphy who talks about playing Makee; and a look at the Forerunner relics and ruins, and how they fit into the season.
- Halo The Series: Declassified 208 (13:01)
  Goodman sits down with executive producer Kiki Wolfkill to discuss the season’s storylines; the cast and crew discuss the Flood and creating the four stages of the infection; a remote interview with Fiona O’Shaughnessy who talks about Laera’s journey and the filming locations; Joseph Morgan talks about Ackerson saving the day in the Flood prison attack; a behind-the-scenes look at blowing up a Condor; and a final Thank You to the fans.
Silver Team Returns (2:31)
The cast and crew talk about returning for season 2, the training, stunts, armor, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with stunts supervisor/action sequence director Philip Silvera, costume designer Jane Holland, showrunner David Wiener, hair/makeup/prosthetic supervisor Natalie MacGowan Spencer, and stars Natasha Culzac, Pablo Schreiber, Bentley Kalu & Kate Kennedy.
Kiki’s Favorite Set: The Condor (:53)
Executive producer Kiki Wolfkill talks about the ship, along with behind-the-scenes footage of the set.
Bringing the 26th Century to Life (3:07)
The cast and crew talk about the various departments that work together to make everything come to life on screen. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with showrunner David Wiener, executive producer Kiki Wolfkill, hair/makeup/prosthetic supervisor Natalie MacGowan Spencer, costume designer Jane Holland, props master Andrew Orlando, production designer James Foster, stunts supervisor/action sequence director Philip Silvera, special effects supervisor Paul Stephenson, director Dennie Gordon, visual effects supervisor Wojciech Zielinski,and stars Kate Kennedy, Bentley Kalu, Pablo Schreiber, Bokeem Woodbine & Natasha Culzac.
A Visit to Luma Pictures (4:54)
Sydnee Gordon goes on a tour of Luma Pictures to see how motion capture and visual effects are used on the series. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with VFX supervisor Alexandre Cancado, animation supervisor Raphael A. Pimentel, CG supervisor Alejandro Solorzano & character supervisor, Mathieu Aerni.
Building a Covenant Warship (1:50)
The crew discusses the design of the Covenant ship. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with showrunner David Wiener, executive producer Kiki Wolfkill, and production designer James Foster.
Making the Fall of Reach (9:01)
The cast and crew discuss filing the Fall of Reach. Some of this is repetitive to the previous features. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producer Kiki Wolfkill, production designer James Foster, military advisor Jack Nevils, showrunner David Wiener, visual effects supervisor Wojciech Zielinski, VFX supervisor Alexandre Cancado, special effects supervisor Paul Stephenson, and stars Bokeem Woodbine, Cristina Rodlo, Pablo Schreiber, Natasha Culzac, Marvin Jones III & Bentley Kalu
The House of Soren (2:42)
Bokeem Woodbine talks about Soren, his family, and his journey this season. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with actress Yerin Ha (“Kwan Ha”).
Writing for Halo S2 (4:22)
Writer/co-executive producer Ahmadu Garba talks about writing for the series, balancing the lore with new things for the fans, the process of breaking a story, his favorite moments from the season, and more.
Bigger Better Props (9:56)
Prop master Andrew Orlando shows off many of the new weapons, devices & vehicles used this season. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage. Some of this is repetitive to the previous features.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Episodes:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

The second season of Halo is thoroughly entertaining and a top-notch production, and for me it even surpassed the first season. This season continues to explore this richly detailed world and characters, while also introducing a couple of interesting new characters into the mix. Fans of the games should enjoy the constant nods to the previous material, and some of the additional pieces of the lore that are injected into the story this season. The series features stellar battle sequences, and solid character drama and political intrigue. The Blu-ray presentation looks and sounds great and is loaded with hours of bonus material. This release comes highly recommended for anyone who enjoys sci-fi space dramas. There is no need to have played the games to fully enjoy the series.